A seven-day breakdown at its Dolvi plant pulled JSW Steel’s crude steel production down by 2 per cent to 10.46 lakh tonnes in October.

The company, India’s third largest steel maker, had produced 10.62 lakh tonne crude steel in the same month a year ago, JSW Steel said in a statement today.

“The crude steel production was lower due to planned shutdown of blast furnace at Dolvi for about seven days during October 2014,” the company said.

The Sajjan Jindal-led firm has steel plants in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra with a combined installed capacity of 143 lakh tonnes a year. Dolvi plant in Maharashtra has an annual steel production capacity of 33 lakh tonnes.

During October, the production of flat products, used mainly into automotive sector, was down by 5 per cent to 8.28 lakh tonnes from 8.67 lakh tonnes in October last year.

Production of long products, used in the construction sector, however, rose 3 per cent to 1.53 lakh tonnes from 1.49 lakh tonnes a year earlier.